Operating-gear for washing-machines.



Patented Jan. 8,1918.

ZSHEETS-SHEBT l.

W. H. GEORGE.

SZ; 25' 2@ i@ I \7\ APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, IBII.

OPERATING GEAR FOR WASHING MACHINES.

W. H. GEORGE.

OPERATING GEAR FOR WASHING MACHINES.I

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5. I9II.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

` Lesaoee.

entre emerse ramener ernten WILLIAM H. GEORGE, F FAIRFIELD, IOWA, ASSIGNOR IO THE DEXTER COMPANY, OF FAIRFIELD, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA.

OPERATING-GEAR FOR WASHING-MACHINES.

y Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 12%8.

Application filed February 5, 1917.l Serial No. 146,646.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLrAlwI H. GEORGE,

I a citizen of the United States, and a resithe operating shafts of power driven washing machines of the pounder type, and consists of Athe matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The gearing is shown herein as applied to what is known to the trade as a bench washer, and in the case of the particular machine illustrated, there are provided two washing machines arranged side by side,

with an upright drive shaft located between the tubs of the washing machines and connected to the operating shaft jourynaled in the lid of each tub. The connections between the drive shaft and operating shafts are such that when the tub lid of either washing machine is raised, its driving connection with` the operating shaft is broken. The advantages of my improved gearing will appear` as I"proceed with my specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a bench washer provided with my improved gearing.

through the same, in a the line 2-2 of Fig. 1..

Fig. 2 is a transverse, vertical section plane indicated by Fig. 3 isa partial, transverse, vertical section through the same in a plane indicated by the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

F ig.' 4 is a top plan view of a bearing plate forming` a part of my improved gear- 111g.

Referring now to that embodiment of my invention lllustrated in the accompanying drawings z-10 indicates a bench adapted to support two washing machine tubs arranged side by side. At one side of said bench is located a hinged platform 11, which may be raised into thehorizontal plane of the top of the bench. Said platform is provided with folding legs 12, adapted to support it.

13, 13 indicate vwashing machine tubs of familiar construction, each having a lid-l.L hinged along one edge in a manner soon to appear, to a longitudinally extending board 15, forming the stationary top of both of said tubs. A transversely extending board or platform 16 is arranged between, and is attached'to the two tubs of the washing machine in the plane of the board 15 and tub lids 14, said board or latform 16 abutting at one end against tie stationary top 15 of said tubs.

17 indicates a transversely extending power shaftwhich is journaled in suitable bearings 18, 19, fixed to the longitudinal` members of the bench 10, in a plane between the tubs 13,13. 20 indicates a driving pulley fixed to the shaft 17 below the board 15, and

adapted to be driven from anysuitable source of power.

21 indicates an upright shaft which is arranged in the plane of the shaft 17, and which is journaled at one end in an overhanging bearing sleeve-19a made integral with the bearing 19. A bevel gear 2la is fixed to the bottom end of said shaft which meshes with a bevel pinion 17a on said shaft 17 (see Fig. 2). The top end. of the shaft 21 projects through a bearing sleeve 22, in an elongated bearing plate 23 (see Fig. 4) fixed to and extending longitudinally of the stationary top or board 15. On the top end of said shaft above the bearing plate 23 is fixed a spur gear 25. The gear 25 meshes with spur gearsv 26, 26, rotatively mounted on upright bearing studs 27 g' 27, carried by the bearing plate 23 near its ends.

A cover plate 28 incloses each of the gears 26, and each cover plate has ears 28a through which bolts extend to secure them to the stationarytop or board l5. A similar cover plate 29 incloses and protects thel gear 25 on the upright shaft 21. Said cover plate 29 has ears 29a which overlap one of each of the ears 28a of the cover plates 28, and which are held in place by' means of the same bolts that attach the said ears 28l1 to the stationary top 15. Each cover plate 28-28 also has an ear 2,8b spaced above the board 16, adapted to be bolted to uears 29b on the cover plate 29. It is apparent that said cover plates not only protect the associated gears from being broken, but also lprevent any liability of the person or clothing of the operator being caught in said gears. v

Each cover` plate 28 has a pair of transversely extending, spaced upright ears or lugs 30, arranged in a plane above the tops of said cover plate on that side which overlaps the adjacent edge of the associated tub lid 14. These lugs are adapted to receive between them, a lug or ear 31 made integral with a bearing bracket 32 fixed to each lid 14. As the bearing brackets 32 and associated parts, are the same in both instances, a description of one will suflice for both. The bearing bracket is arranged in a radial line passing through the axis of the adjacent stud 27, and the axis of the tub lid to which it is attached. Said bracket 32 carries an upright stud. 33 upon which Aa gear 34 is journaled, said gear meshingwith the adjacent gear 26 on the bracket plate 23. The bearing bracket 32 also has a horizontally disposed bearing sleeve 35 arranged in a plane spaced above the gear 34 and in which a shaft 36 is journaled. Fixed to the outer end or to that end of the shaft 36 adjacent -to and above'the gear 34, is a bevel gear 37 which meshes with an upwardly facing bevel gear 34a made integral with the gear 34 before mentioned. A cover plate 38 fixed to ears 32a on thev bearing bracket 32, incloses and protects the gears 34, 34a and 37, respectively.

The inner end of the shaft 36 terminates Lin a plane adjacent to'the vertical axis of Vdiametrically extending hole through it.

A horizontally disposed radial arm 41 fixed to an upright operating shaft 42, extends through the hole in the ball 40. The operating shaft 42 carries al pounder 42a at that end within the tub, and said shaft is capable of vertically reciprocating, alternating rotary 4m''ovement in vertically spaced bearing sleeves made integralwith a bearing bracket 43, lfixed to the tub lid about the ax1s thereof.

A hinge member 50 is fixed to each end ofthe stationary top or board 15 which coacts with a'hinge member 51 fixed to the adjacent edge of the associated tub lids 14. Said hinge members 50, 51 are connected by pintles 52 which are in axial alinement with the pintles of the hinges formed bythe ears 30 on the cover plate 28 andthe ears 31 of the bracket plates 32.

The operation of the mechanism thus far described, is as follows :-It is apparent that the Shaft 21 is driven in one direction through the gears 21a and 17a, from the power shaft 17 The gear 25 on the top end of the shaft 21 will, of course, drive or rotate the gears 26, 26, but in reverse directions. When the tub lids 14 are in their normally closed positions, the gears 34, which are in mesh with the gears 26, will, through the bevel gears 34a and 37, respectively, operate to drive the shaft 36 in the bearing sleeves 35 of the associated bearing bracket 32.

The crank arm 39 will, of course, rotate continuously in one direction, and this rotation is translated into a vertically reciprocating, alternating, rotarymovement of the operating shaft 42 bymeans of the arm 41 and the ball 40 carried by the crank arm, in the manner well known.

When either of the tub lids 14 are swung into an open position about the pintle of the hinge connection before described, the associated gear 34 will be fdisengaged from mesh with the associated gear 26, although said gear 26 still rotates by reason of its meshing with the gear 25. When the said tub lid is again closed, the gear 34 will again mesh with the associated gear 26 and movement is again imparted to the operating Shaft 42. The parts are so proportioned and so arranged that the gear 34 will not come into mesh properly with the associated gear 26, until the vtub lid is almost closed, thus eliminating the operation ofthe operating shaft when the tub lid is in about a halfclosed position and such danger as the operator is subjected to under such conditions.

In connection with the means for driving the washing machine operating shafts as before described, lprovide a clothes wringing .mechanism driven from the power shaft 17,

which may, in its use,be swung about a verare also provided whereby the operating rolls of the cl-othes wringing mechanism may be caused to rotate in one direction, may be stopped entirely, or may be caused to rotate inthe opposite direction. Such means are as follows:

60 indicates an upright shaft spaced from the upright shaft 21, and arranged in the plane of the power shaft 17. The shaft 60 has bearing at its bottom end in a sleeve 18a made integral with the bearing bracket 18 before mentioned. A bevel gear 61 is fixed to said bottom end of the shaft, which meshes with a bevel gear 17b in the shaft 17 The top of the shaft 61 extends through the platform 16 and has bearing in an upright sleeve 62 having a radial flanged base 63 naaaoaa xed to the top surface of the platform 16. rfhat end of said shaft 6l above the bearing sleeve 62 is squared as at 64.

65a indicates a clothes wringer of the usual construction, normally located in `the vertical plane of the shaft 17. Said wringer is rigidly fixed to a casing 65 which has a vertical bearing sleeve 66 normally bearing about the bearing sleeve 62. 'llhe bottom end of the sleeve 66 terminates in a flanged base 66a which bears upon the flanged base 63 of the bearing sleeve 62. The casing 65 has an apertured ear 68 to receive a removable pin69 thatis adapted to engage in suitable holes 70 in the flanged base 63, vto lock the casing against accidental horizontal .swinging movement after it has been swung horii zontally into the desired position.

The casing 65 provides bearing for one end of the lower wringer roll shaft 71 and upon said shaft is loosely mounted oppositely facing -bevel gears 7 2 7 3. Said gears are normally in mesh with a bevel gear 74 journaled in the sleeve 66, said gear having a socket adapted to receive the squared end 64 of the shaft 60. A clutch collar 75 is keyed to the shaft 71 in a familiar manner, between the bevel gears 72 and 73, said collar being controlled in its endwise movement on the shaft by means of a lever 76. Any convenient means is provided for locking the lever 76 in the desired position, such as, for example, the arcuate arm 77 fixed to the wringer frame above the casing 65.

It 1s apparent, from the foregoing description, that the wringer rolls may be stopped andstarted in either direction at the will of the operator, by the manipulation of the lever 76, and that the wringer may be operated and controlled at any position into which it may be swung.l f

u My 1mproved gearing -is simple in construction and the partsthereof so coact with each other that they resist any tendency for 4 5? the' tublids to be distorted out of shape,

" thus insuring an easy and quiet running gearing-especially adapted for washing machines.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a gearing of the kind described, in combination with `a main support, a horizontal supplemental support hinged to said main support to swing about a horizontal axis, an upright operating shaft carried by Q s'aid-.supplemental support, a bearing plate fixed to said main support, an upright, continuously rotating ing with the driving shaft journaled at one end in sai bearin plate, a gear on said upright shaft, a stud on said bearing plate, a gearmounted on-said stud and meshgear on said upright driving shaft, a bearing bracket fixed to said supplemental support, a horizontal shaft journaled in said bearing bracket, a gear on said bearing bracket adapted to mesh l"vt-ith the lgear on said stud, means operatively contal shaft with said yupright operating shaft.

2. In a gearing of the kind described., in combination with a main support, a horizontal, supplemental support hinged to said main support and adapted to swing about a horizontal axis, an upright operating shaft carried by said supplemental support, a bearing plate fixed to said main support, an upright, continuously rotating driving shaft journaled at one end in said bearincn plate, a gear on said upright driving shaft, a stud on said bearing plate, a gear on said stud and meshing with the gear on said upright driving shaft, a cover plate fixed to said main support and inclosing the gear on said stud, said cover plate having an ear, a bearing bracket fixed to said supplemental support and having an ear hinged to said ear on said cover plate and forming a part of the hinged connection between sald main support and said supplemental support, a horizontal shaft journaled in said bearing bracket, a gear on said bracket plate adapted to mesh with the gear on the stud on said bearing plate fixed to said main support, means operatively connecting the gear on said bearing bracket with the associated horizontal shaft, means -operatively connecting said horizontal shaft with the said upright operating shaft, and

hinge members fixed to said mam supportl and said supplemental support and forming the other part of the hinged connectionlbetween said main support and said supp'le- I fixed to said main support and inclosing the i io gears on said upright driving shaft and on said stud, one of said cover plates. having a pair of spaced ears, a bearing bracket fixed to said supplemental support and having an ear engaged between and' hinged to the spaced ears on said cover plate, a horizontal shaft journaled in said bearing bracket on said supplemental support, a bevel gear on said shaft, a stud on said bearing bracket, a combined spur and bevel gear mounted on said stud, the spur gear part of said combined gear meshing with the gear on the stud on said bearing plate fixed to said main support, the bevel gear part of said combined-gear meshing With the bevel gear on said horizontal shaft, means connecting said horizontal shaft to the associated upright operating shaft, and hinge members fixed to said main support Aand supplemental lsupport respective1y,' said ears and said hinge members providing the hinged connection between said main support and said supplemental support.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing 10 as my invention I aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses',l this 20th day of December A. D. 1916.

WILLIAM H. GEORGE.

Witnesses:

GLADYS M. BAILEY, EDMUND V. HUNT. 

